HealthCare Software delivers research platform for important Health and Wellness project
HealthCare Software (HCS), working with its partners HABIT Lab (a division of the University of Tasmania) and St Lukes Health, has delivered a cutting-edge platform for researchers from HABIT Lab to measure whether prompts and rewards can be effective in motivating people to take more exercise and engage with their health.
Members of St Lukes, Tasmania’s leading private health insurer, will participate in the 12-week research project. Participants will be split into 4 groups, 1 control group and 3 groups receiving differing prompts and rewards, to measure effectiveness. They will wear Garmin smart watches paired to the HCS platform which will provide the prompts and capture the anonymous outcomes for researchers to conduct their studies.
Dr Bikram Ghosh from HABIT Lab said, “The question we’re investigating through this research is: What does it take to shift behaviour? The aim is to generate evidence that can inform future health programs in Tasmania and beyond”. With Tasmania having the lowest overall good health status in Australia, including higher rates of chronic illness and obesity, just telling people to be more active isn’t a strategy for change. “Our study is about finding which strategies actually translate to improved health behaviours and outcomes.”
St Lukes Chief Operating Officer, Darren Harris, said “This study is aimed at empowering our members with insights and information so they can make choices that work for their own circumstances.”
HCS Chief Executive, Rich Metcalfe, said that HCS was proud to be a part of this all-Tasmanian research effort to try to shift the dial in population health and wellness.
HealthCare Software, headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania, is a leading provider of Medication, Health and Wellness platforms to public health organisations across the world.